When we go to a restaurant, most of us do so for multiple reasons. One, it’s pretty convenient. You don’t have to cook nor do the dishes. Two, it’s yummy (or at least that’s what you hope when booking). Not all of us are great cooks so it seems like a good idea to leave the cooking to the professionals when you want to eat a yummy meal. Three, a night at a restaurant is usually seen as a nice outing, providing some quality time with a loved one, a friend or a colleague. Three great reasons thus to book a table as quick as possible but one thing most of us don’t want to do when visiting a restaurant is actually killing the animal providing the meat on your platter.
Nonetheless, that’s precisely the idea behind restaurant Upstick in the Dutch town of Arnhem. Chef Wander Alblas imagined a rather unique concept in which his clients are actually obliged to kill a chicken before eating them. Some explanation seems necessary.
Every year, 500 million chickens get slaughtered in the Netherlands. That’s an incredible number. It’s no longer doable.
Wander Alblas, chef of Upstick, for De Gelderlander
As he wanted to create some awareness around the subject, he decided to put restaurant goers to the test. Would they still eat chicken if they were obliged to kill the animal before putting their feet under the table? That’s why guests at Upstick will be present during the slaughter of the chickens before starting their meal. That process follows the Dutch slaughtering guidelines but it’s still not a pretty sight.
A chicken without its head can still continue to move, sometimes for up to one minute.
Wander Alblas, Chef of Upstick, for De Gelderlander
After they’ve done the slaughtering part, guests will be able to enjoy their meal, which will consist of chicken killed by someone else the night before. Moreover, upon their arrival, guests will be served an appetizer made out of insects, grains and other ingredients usually served to chickens. In total, the menu will be composed of four servings, all based on a chicken’s timeline. Those who don’t want to actually slaughter the animal can indicate so when making their booking.
Upstick will be open from May 5th until June 30th. Whether or not it will be a success remains unclear but according to Wander, making a lot of money out of it isn’t his goal. He mainly wants to start a conversation about people’s meat consumption and the impact on our climate.
